Legends of Lightstorm Saga 1 Episode 6: Conflicts of Interest
by Mutrox
Summary: While the newly-activated Sailor Scouts continue to settle into their roles as heroes, Artemis and Luna clash over Jason's involvement. Elsewhere, Zoisite chafes under Jadeite's command as they enact the latest energy-gathering stratagem devised by the Supreme One.
1. The Unknown Variable

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

"Keep your voice down," Luna said wearily.

"Out of all 7 billion people living on this planet, you had to go and get _him_ involved," Artemis seethed. Luna sighed.

Things had spiraled out of control ever since the activation of Sailor Jupiter and the discovery of Sailor Venus. The Sailor Scouts seemed to get along quite nicely, but that wasn't Luna's concern. The real issue was with the white cat pacing nervously in front of her.

Ever since he had met Jason during the battle of Jupiter's activation, Artemis had retreated into a state that could only be described as antagonistically paranoid. Luna had been overjoyed to meet her old friend again, but the white cat hadn't returned the sentiment. He was too busy worrying about a problem Luna herself had been wrestling with since Day 1.

Artemis had taken to doing everything in his power to keep the Sailor Scouts away from Jason. He would draw attention to himself through his words or actions in order to distract them, and more often than not he succeeded. When he was unsuccessful, he always managed to be in the same room when a Scout spoke to Jason, never taking his eyes from the old warrior. He would then find a way to manipulate the conversation so that the Scout would leave for one reason or another. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. For now.

Jason himself had regarded Artemis with a cool acknowledgment and little more. On the rare occasions when the cat spoke to him, he responded evenly in the curt, serious manner that everyone had grown used to. It wasn't in his nature to speak unnecessarily, but that didn't put Artemis' mind at ease. His fears had led to this midnight gathering with Luna.

"As I keep trying to tell you, everything is under control," Luna said, irritated. "I was very careful and I'm not going to let anything happen."

"You can't guarantee that." Artemis started pacing a little faster. "We have no idea what he's planning or how long he's going to pretend to help us."

"What makes you think he's planning something in the first place?"

Artemis stopped pacing. "What makes you think he's not? He has every reason to turn on us."

"He's not that kind of person."

"People can change, especially when given the right opportunity."

"Well, I realized I could recruit him for our cause, or let Sailor Moon die from lack of training. I made a call."

"You had no right!" Artemis got in Luna's face. "Thanks to you, all the Sailor Scouts are at risk, and our entire mission is in danger! Already, I've had to bend over backwards to explain his existence to Sailor Venus, and I'm not sure she bought my story."

"What did you tell her?"

"Just some BS about how he was a former soldier for the Moon Kingdom. Things got unpleasant when she started asking more questions."

"Has she gone to him with those questions yet?"

"So far I've managed to keep her busy, but sooner or later she'll get around to it. And when that day comes…"

"You're overreacting," Luna assured him. "He hasn't said a word to Sailor Moon about… any of it, and he's had plenty of chances to do so."

"All the more reason why he could tell them any day now." Artemis shuddered at the thought. "If he wanted to, he could destroy our entire operation with a single sentence."

"No matter his feelings toward us, he knows the Negaverse needs to be stopped, and the Sailor Scouts stand the best chance of doing so. Perhaps we would be at risk if he still had his powers, but his Ground State is too weak to fight the Negaverse alone."

Artemis contemplated this. "Maybe, but from what I've seen, he's still too smart to be harmless. If he ever gets a hold of the right resources, he might become dangerous enough and decide he doesn't need the Sailor Scouts anymore. And what do you plan to do if that happens?"

"You do him injustice. Despite everything that happened, he's still a good man. He hasn't even told Sailor Moon about her true identity because he knows she's not ready for it."

"Is that why he's kept his mouth shut, or is it because he can't so much as remember _her_ name without suffering a brain hemorrhage?" Luna said nothing. "You might be used to running things your way around here, but we're in this together now, and Sailor Venus is my responsibility. And since she's far more experienced than the other Scouts, I know she can handle herself if needed." He leaned in close. "Lie to yourself all you want, but the Mistake knows too much and he can't be trusted. When he decides to expose us, I'm going to make sure he does as little damage as possible, with or without you." He padded away into the night, leaving only a tangled mess of emotions in Luna's heart.


	2. Rivals

"Did I say you could stop?"

Zoisite looked up. "I've been hauling this equipment around for hours. Give me a break."

"Very well. I'll just tell Her Majesty that you refused to assist me in my task. I wonder what she'll do to you this time." Jadeite smiled unpleasantly. Zoisite glared at him, but said nothing. Sighing, the creature picked up the equipment and kept walking.

No one could accuse Beryl of not knowing how to punish incompetence. In the days that followed its sentence, Zoisite found itself seriously wondering if the flaying Beryl had threatened it with would have been preferable. It hadn't imagined that working under one of her most hated enemies would be pleasant, but it also hadn't imagined… this.

At first, Jadeite hadn't been that bad. He had made Zoisite do simple things like bringing him items he needed or writing down information he needed. Zoisite hated taking orders from anyone, but this arrangement was less intolerable than it had feared.

Things had taken an ugly turn when Jadeite apparently realized the true extent of his power. He started making Zoisite perform more difficult tasks, often of a painful or humiliating nature. These tasks ranged from pointlessly searching the streets of the human city ("Just in case there are more dormant Sailor Scouts") to carrying him around when he was feeling especially nasty. One night, when he limped back to his quarters covered in scratches and bite marks, he woke up Zoisite and told it to treat his wounds. Zoisite had made a joke about him using BBQ sauce instead of lubricant from now on, and Jadeite punished it by ordering it to make its bodies kiss each other. The disgusting sensation was still fresh in Zoisite's mind as it finished placing the equipment.

Jadeite looked back at the paper in front of him. He wrote down a few equations, frowned, erased his work, and wrote down a different set of equations. Mathematics that defied human comprehension were called forth from the pencil in his hand as he calculated the final computations needed to enact the plan. Zoisite glimpsed the paper as he passed behind Jadeite. For a moment he wished Jadeite was as smart of the battlefield as he was on paper. Then again…

"See something interesting, Zoisite?" Jadeite asked pointedly, noticing Zoisite looking over his shoulder.

Zoisite looked away. "I was just hoping to learn one or two things from your calculations," he said hastily.

"Don't bother." Jadeite returned his attention to his work.

"Forgive my inexperience," the female body said overly-contritely, "But shouldn't we kill the Sailor Scouts before we proceed?"

Jadeite put down his pencil in an exaggerated manner and turned toward Zoisite, folding his hands. "That depends. Have you discovered a way to break a Moon Kingdom Deceptor?" Zoisite, knowing what he wanted to see, looked away and said nothing. "Even the lowest Negaverse agent knows there are only two ways to break a Deceptor, and neither of those methods are accessible to us right now."

"Perhaps if the Negaverse had spent more time attempting to capture Deceptor schematics, we could have devised a countermeasure. There is little that is more embarrassing than looking straight at your enemy and failing to recognize her."

"Yes, I'm sure you would have made an excellent leader in those days, hunting down the design for something hardly anyone knew existed."

"We could have learned of Deceptors if it hadn't been for Serenity's Folly," Zoisite argued, a bit pointlessly.

"You and I both know Deceptors predate that bastard," Jadeite said tightly, his mind flashing back.

"But he doesn't seem to be using a Deceptor. At the very least, killing him would prevent the Sailor Scouts from using his knowledge."

Jadeite looked at Zoisite knowingly. "That third body must have meant a lot to you. Throwing away your mission to kill Sailor Jupiter just to get to the Mistake… was it really worth it? If you had just killed them both immediately you would have succeeded, but did torturing Jupiter really make you feel better?"

"I wanted to do more than that," Zoisite admitted, feeling itself grow angry. "You can only do so much damage to a Justice Champion's Ground State before they die, and I wanted to make him suffer as much as I could. He seemed protective of Sailor Jupiter for some reason, so I thought I'd start by torturing her."

Jadeite nodded understandingly. "Regardless, I should thank you. Seeing Beryl chew you out like that was almost as amusing as hearing you were beaten by a team of barely-trained Sailor Scouts _while_ using a squadron of drones stolen from the Queen herself."

"This is the same man that was half-blinded by a powerless idiot and cut to ribbons by a barely-pubescent meatbag," Zoisite looked up. Jadeite was frowning at her. Zoisite realized she'd spoken aloud instead of thinking her opinion. "Um…"

Jadeite's eyes narrowed. "Assume the position."

Sighing and cursing itself, Zoisite made both of its bodies bend over some nearby boxes. Jadeite stood up. He had always been petty and immature when it came to his rivalry with Zoisite, but this was a new low even for him. Zoisite hadn't even believed it when he did it the first time, but the depth of his hatred for the two-bodied creature became further evident when he repeated the action later. Zoisite braced for what was coming.

"This is every bit as amusing as I thought it would be." Jadeite drew back his foot and started kicking Zoisite's asses.


	3. Training Day

Serena walked through the enormous empty room that served as an entrance to the abandoned building Jason called home. Her footsteps echoed off the concrete walls as she searched for the way in. Inwardly, she wondered if coming here without Luna was such a great idea.

After waking from a sugar coma after 11 in the morning, Serena had located a poorly-written note from Luna. The cat had explained that she would be gone for most of the day doing tasks of her own, and that Serena should try to do something productive in the meantime, such as catch up on her homework. Serena had then sat down, opened a book, stared at her assignment for about 7 seconds, and decided it was time for a break.

After checking every piece of social media she used a few times, she decided to see what the other Sailor Scouts were up to. Amy texted back that she was in the middle of studying for an exam, and Raye and Mina didn't answer, but Lita said she was hanging out at Jason's place, and that Serena should come by. After checking on Molly's whereabouts and finding she was busy as well, Serena agreed.

Now, as she walked through the building, she was starting to wonder just how she was going to get in. Last time she had been here, Amy had lifted her through the hole in the ceiling with an ice column. "I wonder if I can jump that high," Serena wondered aloud, looking up at the hole. She glanced around for another way in. Seeing none, she shrugged. "MOON PRISM POWER!"

The transformation rushed through her body, destroying Serena and rebuilding her into Sailor Moon. Gathering her strength, Sailor Moon crouched down and leapt straight up toward the hole.

Sailor Moon's fingers brushed the edge of the hole. She grabbed the rough edge of concrete, feeling her legs dangling uselessly into the open space below her. Adrenalin pumped through her system, causing her heart to race. "HEY! CAN I GET SOME HELP OVER HERE?" she called, trying not to panic.

For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly the sound of a rattling chain filled the air. A thick chain whipped overhead, snaking down through the hole. The thing encircled Sailor Moon's waist, pulling her up through the hole and setting her on her feet.

"How was that?" Sailor Venus asked.

"Your control was sufficient," Jason replied evenly, sounding neither pleased nor disappointed. "A less skilled Sailor Scout would have crushed her."

"WHAT!?" Sailor Moon shouted indignantly. "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST GIVE ME YOUR HAND!?"

"I'm practicing my chain control," Sailor Venus explained, a bit apologetically. "I wouldn't have chained you if I didn't think I could do it." Serena looked annoyed.

"Did you want something, Serena?" Artemis asked, coming out from behind Sailor Venus.

"Just thought I'd come down here and hang out."

Sailor Venus smiled. Jason's expression didn't change. Artemis frowned slightly before catching himself. "Jupiter and Mars are sparring down the hall," he told her. "They might like to hang out."

"Okay." Still slightly annoyed, Sailor Moon turned and walked away. Sailor Venus watched her go. "Should we keep going?" she asked Jason after a moment.

"We've focused on your chains enough for today. Let's move on to your impact beams."

Sailor Moon followed the sounds of flames and thunder echoing through the concrete corridors. As she passed through the building, she noticed someone seemed to be trying to add a human touch to the base. Lawn chairs, folding tables, and other decorations were placed through the building, apparently with the intent of making the place more comfortable.

In fact, the other Sailor Scouts had been adding their own touches to the base ever since they discovered its existence. The day before, Raye had brought in some decorations from the temple to hang on the walls, and a few days before that Lita had brought some lawn chairs so visitors would have somewhere to sit down. Other additions were being made presumably by either Mina or Ami, making Serena feel like she should contribute something.

Thus far, Jason had said nothing about the additions being made to his home without his permission. Perhaps he would have objected if the furniture and other pieces had been more intrusive, but the Sailor Scouts had been mostly concerned with functionality instead of aesthetics. At the very least, they had had the courtesy to leave his lab and sleeping quarters untouched.

Serena passed a collapsible table with a half-eaten pizza. She grabbed a slice and kept walking, her bad mood disappearing instantly. Just as she finished it and threw away the crust, she found Lita and Raye in a large training room.

The two Sailor Scouts were locked in a deadly clash of fire and lightning. Raye charged in with a jet-propelled left hook. Lita dodged, countering with an uppercut to Raye's jaw. Raye stumbled back. Lita kicked at her abdomen.

Raye grabbed Lita's leg and spun around, throwing Lita across the room. Lita rolled to her feet. Raye ignited her propulsion flames and charged. Lita ducked low and punched Raye in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. Raye spun outward, grabbing Lita's wrist.

Lita spun with Raye, sending an electrical current through Raye's hands. Raye cried out in pain as her muscles constricted involuntarily. Lita pulled back, dragging Raye into another punch. The blow grazed Raye's jaw. Raye spun past Lita, reaching out to grab her hair.

Lita's hair passed through Raye's grip as if her hands weren't even there. Lita followed her path and gave a sharp jab to her shoulder. Raye spun out of control. Lita stepped in and finished her off with a palm-heel to the forehead, knocking her down onto the mat.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then Raye started chuckling where she lay on the ground. Lita joined her after a second. She stepped forward and offered Raye her hand. Raye accepted and Lita pulled her to her feet. The two of them laughed like old friends as they reverted to their Ground States and took a water break.

"Hey, Moon!" Lita called, waving Serena in. "Want to help me kick Raye's ass in the next round?"

"You'll need all the help you can get after I stop holding back," Raye shot back. Lita punched her in the shoulder, laughing good-naturedly.

"I kinda just thought we could hang out," Serena replied honestly, not wanting to exert herself unnecessarily.

"This IS how Sailor Scouts hang out! We beat each other up until the Negaverse attacks, and then we stop the bad guys and go back to hitting each other!"

"You COULD use some more training," Raye pointed out, taking a swig from her water bottle. "The rest of us have been coming here almost every day for awhile now, and the only time you've ever been here was when Lita and Mina first showed up."

"I'm, uh, conserving my energy for when the Negaverse attacks," Serena said, not liking where the conversation was going.

"You were watching Netflix and eating chocolate chips right out of the bag, weren't you?"

"… No, I wasn't!"

"Well then, you won't mind going a round and showing us your stuff!" Lita said, screwing the cap back on her water bottle. "Come on, just go a minute with Raye. I already softened her up for you."

"I don't think I should…"

"You're never gonna learn if you don't practice!" Lita stood up. "Raye, go back to Combat Mode." Raye summoned her TAG and turned back into Sailor Mars. "Just keep moving and watch out for her right hook," Lita told Serena, moving her toward the training mat in spite of Serena's protests.

"I really don't think-"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Lita jogged back to her gym bag and fished out a small jar. "She likes to go for the hair," she advised, smearing the specialized hair gel on Serena's hair.

Raye took her place at the opposite end of the mat. Serena swallowed nervously. Lita walked back to her gym bag and put the jar away. Then she opened her water bottle with her teeth and washed her hand. "Okay, here are the rules! Serena, no sonic screams and no hard throws with your tiara. Raye, no fire blasts at Serena. Any questions?"

Serena could feel her heart pounding as she searched for a way out. "Uh, I have to-"

Lita banged on a metal pipe. "FIGHT!"


	4. Team Building

Artemis crouched low to the ground, trying to cover his ears with his paws. The ground shook under him once more, rattling his bones. After a moment he decided to stop wishing it would end and start wishing he could be somewhere else entirely.

Mina crouched low, readying an impact beam. She dashed forward. Three orange blasts erupted from her palms. Chains coalesced in her grip, whipping through the targets. She ducked and spun, firing another beam.

Jason threw a pair of shurikens at her. Mina dodged to the side, avoiding one and deflecting the other with a chain. She ran into another nest of targets, taking them out with a sweeping impact beam. "How was that?" she asked, standing up.

"Sufficient." Jason put down the other shurikens in his hand and pulled off his gloves.

"That's it?" Mina walked over to him. "That's what you said to all the other Scouts."

"True."

"Isn't my fighting better than 'sufficient'? I have way more experience than the others."

"And your experience is sufficient."

"But…" Mina followed Jason as he put the shurikens away. "Shouldn't we know who the best is? It might be important."

"Burn that chair."

"Wait… what?" Mina asked in confusion.

Jason turned his ancient, ageless eyes to her. "Generate electrical current between your hands. Shatter this wall with your voice."

"Uh… I can't do any of that."

"Exactly. Each of you is the best at what you do. No single Scout is universally better than any other Scout."

Mina thought about it and conceded the point. She followed Jason as he walked away from the room and deeper into the base, Artemis close behind. "So what's next?"

"I've seen all I need to for now. My attention is needed elsewhere." He turned a corner and strode into the work area. He passed the tables full of equipment and components, setting down one of the shurikens on one table next to a disassembled phone. His original phone had been destroyed in a fight, and he had since been laboring to build a new, more powerful one.

Mina glanced around at all of his equipment. "Hey, what about that Tuxedo Mask guy? He seemed cool. Maybe he could come down here and show us some stuff."

The costumed hero known as Tuxedo Mask had vanished as quickly as he had come the night of Lita's activation. Questions about him had caused Sailor Moon to veritably sing his praises to Mina and Lita as they made their way back to Jason's base, but Jason remained unconvinced. Mask's timing was still too coincidental for his liking, and the fact that he never remained long enough to answer any questions only added to the suspicion surrounding his motives. To make matters worse, investigating the man would require a great deal of time, something Jason was beginning to have less and less of. Between training all five Sailor Scouts, scavenging for resources, building and maintaining equipment, and fortifying the base, there was barely enough time for a decent night's sleep, even with Jason's perfect health. Adding an investigation to his tasks would spread his efforts too thinly across too many fronts.

Jason's only lead was the mysterious Darien Shields. In the back of his mind, Jason had been quietly cataloguing every bit of information he received about the man, and little of it made sense. Serena appeared to despise him for some reason, yet she was absolutely enraptured with another being of exactly the same bodily structure and voice. Under different circumstances, Jason would have dismissed the phenomenon as the use of a Deceptor. But Deceptors possessed certain traits that Jason's mind could recognize, traits that he hadn't detected from either Tuxedo Mask or Darien Shields.

Tuxedo Mask's lack of a Deceptor only further complicated matters. Jason searched for other explanations for Serena's strange behavior, but nothing he thought of eased his mind. Tuxedo Mask could very well be using a telepathic weapon on Sailor Moon to further his own ends. Such things were not unheard of, and such instances rarely (if ever) ended well for the victim. But why was Sailor Moon the only one affected? What strange powers did this Tuxedo Mask possess? Until such questions could be answered, the man couldn't be allowed anywhere near either the base or the Sailor Scouts. "Tuxedo Mask is an unknown. We will limit contact with him until we have further information."

"Serena says he's cool."

"Despite all evidence to the contrary," Jason replied emotionlessly.

###

BOOM!

Sailor Moon flew backwards, landing hard on the training mat. Sailor Mars advanced, her fist raised. Serena shook herself back to awareness and threw her tiara.

Raye dodged the weapon. Serena rolled to her feet. Raye rushed her, propelling herself with her flames. Serena stepped to the side and smashed her elbow into Raye's face. Raye fell backwards, her inertia carrying her forward. She smacked into the mat with blood gushing from her nose.

"Are you okay!?" Serena asked worriedly, leaning over Raye.

Raye's arm rocketed into Serena's ankles, sweeping her legs out from under her. For the briefest of moments, Serena was airborne. Raye's jet-propelled fist crashed into her ribcage, driving her into the mat. Amid the pain, Serena pulled her tiara from her forehead and slashed wildly at where she guessed Raye's face was.

The fist disappeared. Serena rolled to the side and came up in a crouch. Raye was clutching the side of her face. Not wanting to fall for the same trick a second time, Serena ran at her, ignoring the pain in her chest.

Raye ducked low. Her left fist slammed into Serena's stomach. Before Serena could react, Raye uppercutted her with a rocket-punch. The Goddess of War spun around with a blast of flame, kicking Serena in the chest.

Serena went flying. She flipped over in midair and landed face-first on the mat. Blood filled her mouth as pain shot through her body. She groaned weakly, wondering how many bones were broken. Through half-closed eyes she saw Raye slowly advancing on her.

Lita banged twice on a metal pipe. "And the winner is The Goddess of War!" she announced, jogging over and holding Raye's fist above her head. "Congratulations! You win a 2-minute water break before your next match."

Raye held out her hand to Serena. Her hand was slick with blood from her nose and face, but Serena accepted anyway. "I thought you said you softened her up," she said weakly, clutching her battle wounds.

"I did. She was hurt before you even started."

"I have a really high pain tolerance," Raye said.

Serena looked at her. "I could have won if I'd been allowed to scream."

"If you were allowed to use your screams, then Raye would have been allowed to use her fire to attack," Lita told her. "And I don't think that would have turned out well."

"You know, you could be dangerous too if you'd take the time to train," Raye pointed out. "All it would take is an hour a day with the old man."

Serena said nothing, opting to glare at Raye instead.

The sound of dripping blood echoed off the walls. "You guys should probably have Jason patch you up," Lita said after a moment of silence.

Serena and Raye trudged out of the training room. They found Jason working in the lab, repairing some piece of equipment. Mina sat on the bed, texting someone, and Artemis lay curled up on one of the workbenches.

Jason looked up as they entered the room. His eyes swept over them as he analyzed their injuries. He put down his tools and stood. "Sit," he instructed, pointing to a pair of lawn chairs. Serena and Raye obeyed, exchanging glares as they did so. Jason retrieved a custom-built medical kit and began treating their wounds.


	5. Counseling

"Stupid Raye," Serena muttered angrily. "Thinks she's so tough…" She threw a punch, barely missing Jason. The old man effortlessly countered her blow, dancing to the side. With one clean move he swept Serena's legs out from under her, causing her to fall flat on her back. Serena rolled to her feet and came at him again with her fist raised and her teeth gritted.

To everyone's surprise, Serena had actually managed to drag herself down to the base and train with Jason for the past few days. Under the watchful eyes of Artemis, Sailor Moon and the man once known as Lightstorm faced off in the training rooms day after day, fighting to make Sailor Moon deadlier. So far, all Serena had to show for it was a collection of new bruises and a bad temper.

Jason emotionlessly defected her tiara with his staff and heel-palmed her just below the throat, knocking her off balance and down onto the mat again. As she scrambled to her feet to attack him again, Jason suppressed a feeling of disappointment. He calmly repelled her attack, considering how he could remedy the situation. Most of the other Sailor Scouts were praising Serena's sudden interest in training, but Jason wasn't so quick to commend her.

When Serena had first come to him in the woods, she had been happy, curious, and eager to learn. It was because of this that she had absorbed his training with enthusiasm, becoming a better fighter before the day was out. In fact, he had almost dismissed his initial concerns about her level of competence after seeing her face down Jadeite and his drone. Almost.

This was something else entirely. Now, Sailor Moon was blindly rushing in from the front, madly attacking him in any way she could. Each attack grew sloppier and less disciplined than the last, and Jason's suppressed disappointment grew ever stronger. This was not the Sailor Scout that had come to him in her hour of need to become a stronger soldier. This was an angry, single-minded girl blinded by humiliation. In a desperate bid to prove her teammate wrong, she was throwing herself headlong into her attacks without so much as a trace of common sense. As he effortlessly knocked her down again and again, Jason saw in her eyes an emotion that was all-too familiar: inferiority.

He knew it well: an all-consuming hatred that filled the mind and blotted out rational thinking. Ironic, he thought, that it was affecting one who claimed to fight for love and justice. He dodged a kick and knocked her away.

This was going nowhere. Usually by now the anger would have burned itself out, but Serena only seemed to get angrier with every day that passed. Luna had spoken to Jason about it, asking him to intervene and help her calm down, but so far no amount of training or drills was able to stem the tide of negative emotions.

Jason decided to switch tactics. He stood up straight, retracted his staff, and walked away.

"Hey!" Serena yelled at him, getting back up. "Where are you going!?"

"Until you can control yourself, away."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"You're behaving like a spoiled child that's been corrected. Until you can act like the champion of justice that you are, don't come back."

"I'm not behaving like a spoiled child, I'm training to be a better- hey, come back here!" She ran after him as he exited the room.

"Anger can be a powerful weapon, but only if you have the mental discipline to focus it," Jason said as he strode down the hall. "Something you evidently lack."

"I have plenty of discipline! Just last night I-"

Faster than Serena could react, Jason half-turned and pulled her TAG off, sending her crashing back into Ground State. "We. Are. Done. Sparring."

Serena shook off the shock of forcibly reverting to her civilian form. "What was that for!?"

Jason regarded her. Perhaps shutting her out wasn't the answer. "You don't need your Combat Mode where we're going."

"Where are we going?"

"On a field trip."

###

The lush, vibrant grass of the park felt cool beneath Serena's feet. Birds silently flew overhead in a blue, cloudless sky. Wind quietly rustled the leaves in the trees. Serena sat back on the bench, feeling better in spite of herself.

Jason sat next to her on the bench. He hadn't said anything since he had led Serena to the park, instead being content to sit and watch the tranquil scene. Somehow, as he sat motionless, he seemed to command an air of obedience that had stopped Serena from leaving. Yet somehow, as time went on, Serena found her muscles relaxing, her heart slowing, and her breathing growing deeper.

"This is nice," she commented quietly.

"I take it you feel better."

"Yeah. It's just so peaceful here."

"Emotional duress can be dangerous in battle. I find this place useful for relieving stress."

Serena yawned contentedly. "I just wish we didn't have to come down here. If Raye wasn't so mean, I wouldn't be so mad all the time."

Something stirred in Jason's memory. He concentrated. There. Humans often liked to talk about things that were bothering them, even if the listener couldn't help. Curious, he thought. That time and energy might be spent devising a solution. But that was beside the point.

He considered a few more things. Serena wasn't human, but her mentality appeared virtually identical. Maybe she would benefit from the same treatment. With a slight mental shift, Jason prepared himself. It was time to, as the humans said, "Take one for the team".

"Tell me about your disagreement with Raye," Jason said, consciously modulating his voice to sound calm and interested.

"Huh?" Serena looked at him in confusion. "I thought you didn't like to talk about that stuff."

"I'm responsible for the well-being of the Sailor Scouts. That responsibility goes beyond increasing your physical prowess."

"Well… okay." And so Serena told him all about her arguments with Raye and why she was feeling so rotten. Jason sat in silence, listening to her unload. "It like she doesn't even care that I'm doing my best!" Serena ranted. "Like, I'm pretty good in a fight, but now I'm not good enough just because she can do some fancy punches!"

Jason listened as Serena proceeded to describe all the reasons why she was right and Raye was wrong. Twice he had to stop himself from correcting her when she recounted events, and once he almost got up and left. But he stayed.

At last, Serena stopped ranting. "So… yeah. That's about it. What do you think?"

Jason considered all that she had said. Now was the time to choose a response that Serena needed to hear, but wouldn't cause unnecessary tension. "I think that you and Raye have two entirely different ways of accomplishing things. Raye's strength lies in her aggressive fighting style and mindset. It's difficult for her to understand why you don't train the same way she does."

"You mean she's not trying to be mean?"

"She wants you to be the best that you can be. But she has trouble understanding that different people do things in different ways."

"Huh." Serena chewed it over.

"Similarly, it's hard for you to understand how she works because you are not Sailor Mars. You two have different styles, but you're on the same side."

They lapsed into silence as Serena thought for a few moments. "I guess I WAS skipping out on training a bunch."

"Perhaps you would find it more enjoyable if you trained with another Scout in addition to me."

Serena stretched. "Maybe I could train with Mina." Jason held her gaze. "And I guess I should say sorry to Raye, too," she added.

"It's unwise to fight with the soldier guarding your back."

Serena looked to Jason. "Thanks, Jason." She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. "I really needed this."

Jason tensed at the unwanted physical contact. He suppressed his distaste, though his expression didn't change. Carefully he shifted, trying to get Serena to take the hint. Serena slipped off his shoulder, collapsing into his lap.

"Serena!" Jason turned her over, pulling out his pocket scanner. Serena's vital signs were weakening. Jason entered a command into his scanner and held it in the air. The readings were unmistakable. Without a second of hesitation, Jason picked her up in a fireman's carry and ran.

It seemed to take forever, but at last, Jason reached the edge of the park. Checking to make sure no one could see them, he set Serena down against a tree, checking her again with his scanner. She was weak, but alive.

After a few minutes, Serena groaned and opened her eyes. "Uhhhhh… what happened?"

"Drink." Jason held out a bottle of water he had gotten from a nearby vending machine. Serena accepted and chugged down half of it. When she was done, Jason handed her a candy bar from the same machine. "How do you feel?" he asked, kneeling beside her.

Serena took a huge bite of the candy bar. "I dunno. Kinda tired, but I'm okay. What was that?"

"Siphon field. A crude one, but effective for gathering energy." Jason scanned her once again, just to be sure.

"Sounds like the Negaverse is at it again," Serena commented, finishing the candy bar.

"What should we do?" Jason asked her, putting the scanner away.

"We call the Sailor Scouts and take those Nega-creeps down!" Serena declared heroically, crumpling the candy wrapper in her fist.

"Did you see any Negaverse operatives in the park?" Jason asked patiently.

"I bet they were disguised as park people."

"And risk getting caught in the siphon field?"

"Maybe they have some kind of Negaverse-forcefield-blocker… thing."

"How can we know for sure?"

Serena thought it over. "We… investigate?"

Jason nodded once with approval. He held out his hand and helped her to her feet. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Serena had a thought. "Wait, we're going back in there?" Jason looked at her. "But how are we gonna keep from passing out? And how come YOU didn't pass out?"

"You were tired and relaxed, and the siphon field only takes a small amount of energy at once to avoid detection. As long as you keep active and we leave soon enough, you'll be fine." Silently, Jason reprimanded himself for being so distracted with Serena that he hadn't been monitoring his own body.

"Well, okay then." Serena made a move to head back into the park.

Jason held out an arm in front of her. "But first we should…?"

"Tell everybody where we are and what we're doing?"

"You're learning." Jason waited for Serena to send all the Scouts a text. Then he turned and led the way back into enemy territory.


	6. Beneath the Surface

Serena brushed a branch out of her face. She ducked down and navigated through the vegetation, following Jason. "What are we looking for?"

"The sources of the siphon field and any Negaverse agents that may be patrolling this area." Jason adjusted the scanner and kept walking. Mentally, he diverted some of his concentration away from the scanner and toward Serena's actions.

Now that she was alert and aware of the siphon field, Serena appeared to be managing its effects well enough. The low-yield energy pull could be held in check, but only if the victim remained energetic and consciously fought it off. He doubted there would be any more problems, but he had learned not to take chances.

Jason walked through the park, scanning the environment. Off to his right, Serena kept herself busy, peering behind every bush and under every rock. She knelt down and checked under a park bench.

"Lose something, Meatball-Head?"

Serena's head shot up, cracking on the underside of the bench. Rubbing her wound, she stood up and looked around for the owner of the all-too-familiar voice.

Darien Shields sat on an adjacent bench, coolly watching her. In one hand was a steaming cup of coffee. In the other hand was a small paperback he appeared to have read halfway through. On his face he wore an expression of casual amusement that caused Serena's blood to boil.

"Get lost, Darien!"

"It's a public park, and I was here first." Darien replied calmly. "If you don't want to see me, you should stop following me." He sipped his coffee.

"WHAT!? YOU KEEP SHOWING UP WHEREVER I GO!" Serena yelled.

"It's not my fault you share my interests."

The noise caught Jason's attention. Instinctively, he slid into concealment behind some shrubbery. As the two of them continued their verbal sparring, he held out his scanner and took a reading of Darien.

His eyes narrowed as he read the display. Unusual energy patterns were lurking in the man's body. Such patterns were difficult to identify, even for one skilled in such things, but they weren't impossible to detect. The scanner readings left no room for doubt: "Darien Shields" was a Ground State.

Priorities shifted behind Jason's eyes. Fortifying the base and researching new equipment could wait. The investigation into the mysterious Mr. Shields and his activities would have to be brought forward.

Serena stalked by the shrubbery in a huff. "What IS it with that guy?"

"He must like you," Jason said dryly, stepping out of concealment. Mentally, he filed away his reprioritizations and started walking next to Serena.

"Well I don't like him!" Serena said angrily, looking around for something to kick. Seeing nothing close by, she settled on the grass.

CRACK!

"Uh… oops," Serena said, looking down in embarrassment. At her feet lay a broken sprinkler. "I gotta go." She jogged away. After a moment, she paused and looked back. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Jason was kneeling on the grass inspecting the broken sprinkler. Carefully, he picked up a piece and turned it over in his hand, his eyes scanning its fractured frame. Inside the small device he spotted the telltale signs of Negaverse science, as far above human science as human science was above the machinations of a child. "Clever…" he whispered to himself.

"What'd you find?" Serena asked, leaning in for a look.

Jason adjusted his scanner and swept it across the landscape. "The siphon field's coming from a siphon network installed in the park's sprinkler system." He stood up and started walking, scanning the environment. "Its even distribution enables equal collection from all points in the park. It also makes the source much harder to identify."

"Does that mean I did good?"

"I wouldn't tell anyone you vandalized city property, but you helped expose a Negaverse operation that jeopardizes human lives. Make of that what you will."

Serena smiled at the praise. "So now what? Do we shut down the siphon field?"

"No. That would just tip them off. We need to find out where this energy is being sent so we can put a stop to it."

"What should I do?"

"I'll call you when I've traced the signal. For now, go home. Rest. Eat something. And above all, prepare yourself. The Sailor Scouts are going on a strike mission."


	7. The Pre-Game

The cold, distant moon hung in the night sky, a small beacon of light in the dark void above the Earth. A cold wind swept across the midnight land. In the distance, the lights of the city shined bright in an ocean of shadow.

Serena sat on a bench, gazing up at the moon. Luna was curled up in Serena's lap, resting but not sleeping. A short distance away, Jason stood deep in shadow, his black armor making him all but invisible. His perfect eyes pierced the night, scanning the darkness for the slightest trace of movement.

"Did they bail on us?" Serena asked after awhile, breaking the silence.

"Doubtful." Jason didn't move.

"I feel like they should have been here by now."

"Use the time to prepare."

"I tried. I got bored."

"Then try again." Jason's voice left no room for argument.

Silence descended upon the world.

At long last, Jason's perfect hearing detected the clinking of chain links. He tightened his grip on the small metal cylinder in his hand as his eyes narrowed and his body tensed.

Sailor Venus strode out of the shadows, Artemis bounding beside her. "I was half-hoping you guys wouldn't show."

"I wanted to stay home and watch _Chrome Wolves_, but Luna made me come anyway," Serena said, patting a spot on the bench next to her. Mina sat down. Artemis slunk away from them and crouched low in the shadows, his eyes never leaving Jason's dark form.

Sailors Moon and Venus began talking amiably. Their voices rattled against Jason's eardrums, breaking the tranquility of the scene. Not allowing himself to feel irritation, he shifted his thoughts toward preparing for the upcoming battle.

Presently, he looked up as he heard two sets of approaching footsteps piercing the night. Serena and Mina stopped talking and looked toward the source of the noise. Out of the darkness walked Sailors Jupiter and Mars.

"Somebody call for heroes?" Lita asked casually, an adventurous grin on her face. In her hand was a paper bag.

"Hey guys!" Serena called, waving.

"Did you get lost?" Mina asked, absently twirling a small chain around her left index finger.

"I would have got here sooner, but Jupe made me walk," Raye replied, jerking her thumb at Lita.

"We can't go on a secret mission with you waking up half the city. That rocket-running thing makes a lot of noise." Lita brushed back a lock of hair. "Besides, walking helped us bond."

"My way's cooler."

"I hope you two are ready for tonight's mission," Luna said, jumping down from Serena's lap. "This is going to be a bit more complicated than just blowing up a few drones."

"Then it's a good thing we've been working out," Lita declared, flexing slightly.

"When we're done, they'll need a new word for 'burned and electrocuted at the same time'." Raye and Lita low-fived.

"I'm glad you're so confident, but-" Luna stopped and turned toward the sound of a newcomer. A moment later, Sailor Mercury ran up.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Amy apologized. "Sneaking out of a high-security condo in the middle of the night isn't very easy." From the shadows, Jason made a mental note to increase focus on stealth during Amy's training.

The Sailor Scouts started talking amongst themselves. Luna turned and bounded up to Jason. "Don't you think you ought to say a few words before we gallivanting off into battle?"

"Why? They have their training."

"Well, yes. But it might do some good to hear some encouraging words from…" Luna could feel Jason's ancient, ageless eyes boring into her. "… from you."

Jason said nothing for a moment. Luna watched him curiously. After a minute, Jason turned and strode out of the shadows.

Lita reached into her paper bag and pulled out a small jar. "Okay, everybody gel up!" she called, unscrewing the lid.

One by one, the Sailor Scouts reached into the jar and scooped out handfuls of transparent gel. The non-Newtonian fluid glistened in the dim light as they spread it on their hair. "Hey how come you don't sell this stuff?" Mina asked, running her fingers through her hair a few times.

"When you're using it you can't wear hats and there's so much you can do with your hair," Lita explained, closing the jar. "My old hairstyle wouldn't work after I started wearing this stuff." She shoved the jar back in the paper bag and stuffed it in a garbage can.

Jason approached them, searching his mind for something to say. The moments before a battle were filled with uncertainty and tension. This was the time when the outcome of most fights would be determined, even before the warriors set foot on the battlefield. The right words in the right ears had the power to unmake armies and rewrite the destinies of planets. Now was the time to ignite the power of the Sailor Scouts. Now was the time to seal the fate of the Negaverse agents attacking the city.

Movement from above caught Jason's attention. "You're not going on a mission without me, are you?" a familiar voice called. The Sailor Scouts abruptly stopped talking and turned to look.

Tuxedo Mask stood atop a nearby concrete wall. His cape blew majestically in the cold wind, taking Serena's breath away. On his face was a slight smile. In his hand was the single most perfect rose Serena had ever seen.

"Windy night…" Amy commented quietly.

"Welcome to the fight, Mask!" Lita called.

Tuxedo Mask jumped off the wall, landing gracefully. "You're going to need all the help you can get if you hope to challenge the Negaverse," he said, striding up to them. "Now you have one more."

Jason studied Tuxedo Mask, his ancient, ageless eyes sweeping over the man in search of deception. First he was found at the site of the siphon field, now he was offering assistance in attacking a Negaverse base of operations he had not previously been informed of. The man and his motives were beginning to occupy a not insignificant portion of Jason's thoughts, something the old warrior did not find agreeable.

The Sailor Scouts were filling him in. Jason studied their interactions, carefully noting the inflections and modulations in their voices. In spite of his warnings, they seemed to like this Tuxedo Mask. Jason's thoughts shifted slightly as he made some calculations.

As undesirable as this situation was, sending Tuxedo Mask away would only cause further damage. Morale would deteriorate rapidly. Negative emotions would fester. The Sailor Scouts would not look on him as favorably, something Jason would not have cared about if not for their need for training and education. Negative feelings would impact their performances. As for the man himself, there was no telling what he would do if dismissed. No. Jason's thoughts swirled madly in defiance, but he ignored them. Tuxedo Mask had made himself a part of this operation. It was no longer a matter of removing him from the equation; it was a matter of damage control.

"Your assistance is welcome," he said, keeping his voice even. Briefly, he explained the attack plan, which he had sent to the Sailor Scouts a few hours earlier. "You will accompany me as I perform my tasks." _Where I can keep an eye on you._

The unspoken phrase hung in the air.

"Then let us be off," Tuxedo Mask said in his usual theatric way.

Jason and Tuxedo Mask's eyes met for the briefest of instants. In that moment, the two warriors conveyed to each other one unmistakable message: "One wrong move, and your corpse will never be found."

With Jason leading the way, the Sailor Scouts turned and headed away from the city, eagerly flexing their powers as they geared up for battle. Before leaving, Serena headed over to Raye.

"Hey, Raye?"

"Yeah?"

"I, uh… I just wanted to say… sorry for breaking your nose and… stuff." Raye said nothing. "I was kinda… bein' a jerk with the whole training thing. But I'm gonna do better! I'm gonna train, and I'll try not be as lazy, and… look, what I'm trying to say is-"

Raye held up a hand. "I get it."

"So, uh… are we cool?"

Raye studied her. After a long moment, she said, "Come see me on the mat sometime. We're due for a rematch." Her mouth twisted upward in a slight smile. Serena smiled back.

"Hey! Are you guys coming or what?" Lita called. She pulled a toothpick from somewhere and jammed it in her teeth. "There's a party at Jadeite's place, and it's time to crash it."


	8. Midnight Assault

The night wind rustled the leaves in the trees. Deep shadows cast by the midnight moon bathed the land in shadow. Beneath the trees, five white figures drifted through the darkness.

Sailor Moon and her sisters-in-arms stalked through the shadows as ghosts in the night. Ahead of them walked two figures in black, all but invisible in the darkness. Of to the left, Luna and Artemis bounded silently through the underbrush. The world seemed to be holding its breath as the seven warriors and their companions walked forth to meet the enemy in battle.

As she stepped over a fallen log behind Venus, Serena mentally searched for a way to take her mind off the upcoming strike. It never did her good to think about battles before going into them. Such thoughts gnawed at her, twisted her gut and nearly incapacitated her. Jason's training had done much to ease her fears, but it wasn't wise to take chances.

Her thoughts turned toward the four Sailor Scouts around her. By daylight, they were bright, colorful champions of justice. But by moonlight, their uniforms seemed to take on an otherworldly, almost ethereal appearance. Serena thought they were strangely beautiful to look at, almost seeming to shimmer with power in the strange, alien light of the moon. Unbeknownst to her, a few paces ahead, a small portion of Jason's concentration was holding similar thoughts.

Jason's mind was a tangled web of calculations and priorities, shifting and twisting as he considered the mission. The storm of deliberation remained unhindered as he silently navigated through the trees. Amid the snarl of thoughts, a fragment of his concentration noted that the uniforms of the Sailor Scouts made very poor camouflage.

Sailor Scouts were symbols of hope and freedom. Their brightly-colored uniformed were meant to make them as visible as possible to the people they defended, to inspire them and to convey the message that they were protected. Therefore, the Sailor Scouts of old had often fought in daylight for just that reason. But they were dead, and their ghosts no longer troubled anyone on Earth save one man.

Jason noted that the Scouts were using the stealth techniques he had taught them, moving almost as silently as he was through the night. Their visibility could be limited through creative maneuvering, but how well could they execute such complex techniques on such short notice?

A twig snapped behind him, breaking the silence. "Sorry!" Serena whispered a bit too loudly. Deciding not to allow himself to feel irritation, Jason turned his thoughts toward the man next to him.

Tuxedo Mask drifted through the dark world, his silence rivaling that of Jason himself. The tall, dark being matched his pace, expertly handling the embellishments provided by his Combat Mode. Jason could feel the man's thoughts shifting behind his mask, measuring him, waiting for the slightest hint of weakness. Electrochemical impulses raced through his nerves to his hand, seeking to unconsciously tighten his grip on his staff. Jason permitted himself.

The trek through the dark land seemed to take hours. But at last Jason signaled them to halt. He pointed to Sailor Mercury and motioned her forward. "Proximity sensors," he whispered when she got to him, pointing ahead. "Disarm them with your visor."

Amy zoomed in on the landscape ahead with her vision, its night vision function perfectly revealing the sensors. She concentrated. Within seconds, the visor had remotely accessed the sensor controls. With the aid of the powerful Moon Kingdom tech, she intercepted the data feed and superimposed a false data feed, concealing the group's movements. As soon as she was done, Jason signaled the group forward.

Soon their ground beneath their feet began to incline upwards. A few minutes later, Jason signaled them all to get down and crawl. Within the hour, they reached the crest, and looked down at the Negaverse facility before them.

The base below was a sprawling compound spread across a large clearing of the forest surrounded by barbed-wire fence. A few decent-sized buildings were set up across the complex, leaving one to guess what dark secrets their walls held. Serena thought it looked a bit like a top-secret government facility. Something caught her attention.

"Are those… humans?" she whispered to Jason, who was prone next to her.

Jason would have been forced to fight back irritation, had he not anticipated Serena's neglect of the briefing material he had sent. "Drones. Wearing human disguises as an additional concealment measure."

"Why are their fortifications so skeletal?" Tuxedo Mask inquired.

"My reconnaissance indicates that this base was quickly built. At present, the Negaverse has minimal resources available, so they probably intend to continue to fortify this facility over time."

"Sucks to be them," Raye whispered.

Jason turned and signaled to Sailor Venus. Mina nodded, placed her hand on the soft earth next to her, and concentrated.

A thin chain emerged from her palm, burrowing into the dirt at her command. The chain tunneled deep underground, turning parallel to the surface when Mina felt it was far enough. Following her will, the tendril shot outward, its destination locked into its user mind.

For a minute, nothing happened. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded in the distance. The drones standing guard turned toward the noise, and some ran to investigate.

"Move." Jason sprang upright, sprinting down toward the base. Serena scrambled to her feet as the rest of the Sailor Scouts ran past her.

Jason expertly maneuvered from cover to cover, staying out of the base lights perfectly. Tuxedo Mask mirrored his tactics off to the right, concealing himself with the skill of a seasoned veteran. Acting on their training, the Sailor Scouts hid themselves from view, their techniques hiding their bright uniforms well.

At the front, Jason ordered a halt. He reached for his belt and pulled out a small, thick circle, holding up to seemingly thin air. The circle stuck to something, and Jason pulled his hand away, leaving the device suspended in midair. The circle clicked slightly. Then it expanded, growing wider until had carved a large hole in the force field surrounding the base. Jason stepped through, the team right behind him.

Toward the middle of the base, Serena saw a figure that looked like one of Zoisite's bodies. She had her back to them, but she was looking around suspiciously. Drones were examining something that had apparently caused the noise, but Zoisite didn't seem to be buying whatever they were reporting. Fearing she might turn around at any moment, Serena redoubled her efforts as she snuck after her teammates.

Jason signaled Jupiter and Mars, silently alerting them that it was time to carry out their part of the plan. Lita and Raye nodded silently. Lita's jaw seemed to clench a little tighter around the toothpick in her mouth. Together, they sprinted for the fence, silently racing across the land. As one, they leaped into the air and front-flipped over the fence. Serena lost sight of them as they dove into cover. Not five seconds later, a drone looked over at the spot where they had just been.

The team circled around the perimeter, carefully maneuvering to keep out of sight. When the sentries began moving away, Jason led them forward. Crouching low, he caught Serena's eye and gestured to the fence.

"Huh?"

"Use your tiara to cut a hole," Jason instructed.

"Oh, right." Serena pulled her tiara from her forehead, activating it as she did so. The disk of light sliced through the fence, carving three shears in the metal weave.

"I'll take point." Jason knew that exposing his back to Tuxedo Mask was a bad idea, tactically-speaking, but it was better than making someone else go first. The leader of a strike mission couldn't appear to be weak-willed. With that in mind, Jason peeled down the section of fence and swiftly stepped through. Tuxedo Mask and the others followed him.

He led them to the largest building on the base, careful to keep them out of sight. Looking back, he signaled Sailor Mercury, letting her know that it was time for her task. Amy nodded, and moved away into cover. Once she was gone, Jason pulled a small, flat rectangle from his belt and attached it to the door frame next to the handle. The lock clicked, and Jason smoothly stepped inside.

The interior of the building was poorly-lit and dirty, but the team pressed on. Serena's boots made an irritating amount of noise on the hard floor, but if any drones were listening, they must have thought the sound came from another drone. At last, they reached the central control chamber. Jason carefully peered in.

Jadeite sat in front of a console, absentmindedly doodling on a piece of paper. His left hand was massaging a wound on his neck that looked suspiciously like a bite mark. Across the room, Zoisite's male body was kneeling down, repairing something. Three disguised drones stood at attention, awaiting their master's orders. In the center of the room was a large metal spire with six energy-stasis modules plugged into a series of cables.

"Drone! Hand me that spanner!" Zoisite ordered. One of the drones walked over and handed him the tool.

"Are you finished repairing that conduit?" Jadeite called, irritated.

"This thing wouldn't have broken in the first place if you hadn't pushed it over capacity," Zoisite yelled back.

"Did I give you permission to criticize my methods?" Zoisite said nothing. "Did I?"

"No," Zoisite said, his barely-concealed anger evident in his tone.

"That's right." Jadeite leaned back in his chair. "If you behave yourself, I just might tell Queen Beryl that you managed to screw up a little less than usual on this mission."

"Just don't bring it up while you're making her scream," Zoisite muttered.

"What was that!?"

"Nothing."

"Drone! Slap Zoisite!" The drone that had just handed Zoisite the spanner backhanded him, sending him spinning into a stack of storage crates.

Jason turned away and held up his hand so his teammates could see. Silently, he counted off five seconds on his fingers.

Outside, in the deep shadow behind a stack of construction materials, Sailor Mercury counted down the seconds on her visor. As she watched the countdown approach zero, she gathered her willpower, focusing it into her hands. The clock reached zero. Raising her hands slightly, she expelled her power as quickly as she could.

Tiny ice crystals materialized in the air. Instantly they melted into water droplets, covering the entire area in a dense fog. Jupiter and Mars charged out of cover, screaming as they unleashed a maelstrom of fire and lightning on their unsuspecting enemies.

BOOM!

Jadeite and Zoisite, whirled around at the noise. "REPORT!" Jadeite barked.

Jason signaled to Serena. Serena nodded. She leaned in the doorway.

"! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Screaming and yelling filled the room as the chamber erupted in a tornado of metal and flesh. Jason and Tuxedo Mask dashed in, weapons raised.

Jason smashed his staff into a drone, sending it flying. Tuxedo Mask ran past him, slamming his fist into Zoisite's face.

One of the drones tore off its disguise. Energy erupted from its body as it transformed back to its true form: a hulking gorilla-like being with gigantic blades on its forearms. The thing swung at Serena, but she dashed out of the way, flinging her tiara into its face. The thing roared in pain and blindly lashed out at her. Serena leapt to safety and ran back for another attack.

Jadeite forced himself to his feet amid the chaos. Through blurred eyes he saw one of the containment crystals poking out from under the rubble. He reached out to take it.

Suddenly chains wrapped around his neck and body, hauling him into the air. "So you're the guy who's been screwing with my friends!" Mina shouted angrily.

Jadeite told her to do something nasty to herself.

Drawing back her chains, Mina hurled him forward with all her strength. Before Jadeite hit the wall, she raised her other hand.

ZZZZZAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKK!

The impact beam blasted Jadeite through the wall, sending him crashing outside. Mina swung after him, another impact beam at the ready.

Jupiter and Mars raged through the battle, blasting and punching and kicking as one. Raye ducked an energy bolt. She dashed in with a flaming fist, her knuckles rocketing into the drone's jaw. The drone went spinning. A bloody ice spear sprouted from the drone's chest, and Amy sprinted over its corpse.

Zoisite stood up and looked around. The fog was obscuring most of her vision, but she could hear just fine. A severed arm flew at her from out of the mist. She swatted it away, growing angry.

Her male body was lying under a collapsed steel beam, broken and out of commission. Zoisite could feel its pain as she beheld bursts of fire within the fog. Sailor Mars was back. All orders disappeared from Zoisite's mind. Twins balls of blue flame erupted from her hands.

Despite possessing the powers of both fire AND ice, Zoisite tried not to use them, as it possessed immunity to neither. More than once, one body had accidentally injured the other during combat through misfires, and Zoisite had often hurt itself through carelessness. But if Sailor Mars wanted to play with fire, then Zoisite was happy to show her what true flame felt like.

A massive jet of blue fire blasted from Zoisite's hands. Raye dodged at the last second, rocketing to the side. A second burst sent her flying at Zoisite.

Zoisite dodged her blow, uppercutting her jaw. Raye backflipped as her inertia carried her forward. Zoisite followed up with a sharp kick to Raye's throat before the girl sailed past her.

Raye caught herself, stabilizing in midair and landing on her feet. Fire blasted from her palms, forcing Zoisite to take flight. Suddenly a lightning bolt knocked her down. Raye heard Lita unleash a yell of excitement. Silently thanking her friend, Raye rocketed forward with a clenched fist and a square jaw.

Tuxedo Mask brought his cane down on a drone's neck, breaking it with a loud crack. With one smooth move he twisted and hurled a pair of razor roses, slicing through the tendons of another drone's arms. Jason spun in, knocking its legs out from under it. He twirled his staff to increase its kinetic energy before shattering the drone's breastplate.

Jason's eyes detected movement. He leapt to the side an instant before a third drone blasted a crater in ground where he had just been standing. Grappling into the air, he dodged a second blast and threw a pair of shurikens, causing twin blue explosions to tear into the drone's body. Tuxedo Mask finished it off with a mighty kick.

"GET THE CRYSTALS!" Tuxedo Mask yelled to no one in particular. He tore another drone to ribbons with a fistful of razor roses, not noticing a blood-covered Serena run past to follow his order.

The room was a mess of tangled metal. One wall was missing, having been torn off in the fight. Serena glanced around for the containment crystals. There. She pulled one out from under the rubble and looked around for the others.

A loud crash caught her attention. Zoisite forced himself upright, tossing away the steel beam that had been on top of him. He spotted the crystal in her hand.

"Uh, hey Zoisite! How've you been?" Serena asked innocently.

Zoisite blasted Serena with ice. Serena jumped out of the way, dropping the crystal. Without thinking she pulled off her tiara and threw it at Zoisite. Zoisite deflected the weapon.

"! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"

Zoisite threw up wall after wall of ice as he charged. The walls acted as crumple zones, absorbing the scream and leaving him unharmed. He swung a left.

Serena's training kicked in. She dodged the blow, countering with a swift right jab. Zoisite twisted, his foot coming up in a kick. Serena caught it and twisted, flipping Zoisite around. Summoning her tiara, she pulled it from her forehead and jammed it into Zoisite's back.

Zoisite screamed in agony. Blood and meat gushed out, but Serena kept going. Outside, Zoisite's female body doubled over in pain, allowing Raye an easy punch to the top of her head. Staggering back, Zoisite summoned her willpower and teleported away, leaving nothing but a bloody tiara in Serena's hand.

Jadeite forced himself up onto his knees, ignoring the pain coursing through the body and the blood pouring from his face. Twin chains wrapped around him once more, slamming him to the ground and holding him.

"You might be used to picking on people weaker than you, but you've never faced Sailor Jupiter before!" Lita declared, charging up her fist.

"And Sailor Venus doesn't let innocent people get sucked dry by alien SOBs like you!" Mina added angrily, tightening the chains.

"#& % you," Jadeite swore weakly. Lita brought her fist down. Before she reached him, Jadeite was gone.

Three drones remained. Amy ran in, raising a huge pair of whirling ice blades. Raye rocketed in from the right, a jet of flame at the ready. Tuxedo Mask threw a handful of razor roses. Jason his twin explosive boomerangs.

The explosion tore the night, sending chunks of drone meat and metal flying. The Champions turned away from the blast, shielding their faces. Then it was over.

Silence descended upon the world.

"Let's do that again!" Raye said finally.

Tuxedo Mask composed himself. "Sailor Moon, have you secured the containment crystals?"

Serena came running, all six crystals in her arms. "Got 'em all!" she said proudly. "Now what?"

"Now we go home. Tomorrow we'll return the energy to the people of the city," Jason stated.

A few minutes later, the team trudged back up the way they had come. Luna and Artemis met them at the tree line, anxiously checking to make sure everyone was okay. Then they all turned and headed for the city.

Serena passed out crystals to the other Sailor Scouts so she wouldn't have to carry them all alone. From the rear, Jason and Tuxedo Mask observed, noting the ease with which the Sailor Scouts transitioned from battle-ready warriors to laughing noncombatants.

After walking together in silence for a time, Tuxedo Mask bid them farewell and set off on his own into the forest, disappearing into the trees. The Sailor Scouts waved goodbye, thanking him for his help, but Jason merely watched in silence. He couldn't deny that the man had been useful in combat, but he was far from trustworthy. Had his involvement in this operation been a part of a larger plan? Where did he come from? What interest did he have in the affairs of the Sailor Scouts?

There were too many questions and not nearly enough answers. Jason mentally reviewed his priorities. As soon as he had rested completely, he would investigate the mysterious Mr. Shields. But tonight he would do no such thing. He would see the Sailor Scouts home safely. He would eat a quick meal of rations by the light of the distant moon in his cold home. And he would drift into the nothingness of sleep. Victory had come today, but Jason's mind was already racing ahead to the next battle, and he promised himself he would be ready to face it, whether Tuxedo Mask was truly a champion of justice, or an agent of oblivion.

**The war rages on in Legends of Lightstorm Saga 1 Episode 7**


End file.
